


PMD - Race for the Cure

by Kroxn



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Other, PMD, PMD AU, Pokemon - Freeform, pokemon mystery dugeon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-03-15 05:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13606989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kroxn/pseuds/Kroxn
Summary: Two children, an oddly marked Bulbasaur and a shiny Mudkip, embark on a mission to help save the world. When a strange illness begins driving pokemon mad, pressure falls to the old trading town-turned-base of Sanctuary. But it this disease a simple bug, or something more sinister?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of my "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon" AU, fair/theorizing/in-depth comments always appreciated!
> 
> For refs of the main characters, please see this link: https://sta.sh/0pxzplbtnfa

Peaceful, that one word could perfectly explain the small village of Rafflori. Despite the strange name, it was the closest one could get to true serenity. Only about a dozen pokemon called it home, but recently the humble settlement had been trodden upon. For it was the only place where rare plants grew like weeds; and the culmination of healers within Salvation--an old trading town--had regularly sent teams of pokemon there to collect whatever the villagers had gathered that week.

Each household took shifts assembling the offering, and it just so happened that it was the resident healer’s turn on that rainy day. Though, if an outsider were to just glance at the pair heading out, they’d be excused for thinking that they had met the village police officer--or, heck: maybe a miner?

A Gigalith towered over a comparatively miniscule Mudkip. Yet, there was absolutely no fear in those tiny blue eyes. In fact, that very Mudkip could be seen dashing under the thunderous feet of the monster all the way to the forest. And while the Gigalith kept an eye on the pink figure, there was little hesitation in his footsteps.

“Nuyt, I think we should focus on finding berries.” The low rumble of the massive pokemon’s voice practically shook the ground. But he was simply met with a giggle.

“I’m looking! I just ain’t finding.” The shiny pokemon replied, his head tossing from side to side before a big grin came to his face. “Oh, I got something!” With that, he was off.

Gigalith watched his charge gallop off, a soft sigh escaping him before he started picking some Oran berries from a nearby bush. His maw opened as his great head delicately swiveled around the shrub to find branches rich with the sweet fruit. Just as he started to carefully tug the branch out, a loud cry made his jaw lock.

Coughing up splinters, the healer rushed over towards the sound. He prayed that it wasn’t what he thought, that Nuyt was okay.

“G-Giga! W-What do I do?” Nuyt cried as he alternatively stomped his forepaws, this was nothing new to Gigalith so he lowered his head and shushed the child. Despite the pup’s cheerful demeanor--and profession--he was awful at managing stress.

“First, take deep breaths. Then tell me wha--”

“C-C’mon, s-somebody’s down!” Those words caught the healer’s ears, and he thudded after the skittish mudkip with wide eyes. Within half a minute, Gigalith could see what had gotten his charge so frightened.

A lone bulbasaur lay awkwardly sprawled next to a sizable rock, the grey stone was stained with crimson that matched the liquid dripping from the child’s head. Despite Gigalith’s instincts, he quickly asked Nuyt to check for life. This what the boy was training for, and there was no way the healer was going to risk squishing the already damaged youth.

Nuyt ran over to the other child, his left paw raising to press lightly into the bulbasaur’s neck. And after a long moment of eerie silence, “T-They’re breathing!”

“Good,” Gigalith craned his neck towards a nearby tree, tugging off a branch before setting it next to the children. “Set these on the wound, then I need you to run and get Lucario.”

Tiny pink paws worked fast, finishing the rough patch job before switching off to carry the pup all the way to the village. Gigalith watched Nuyt leave, then he looked back down to the strange bulbasaur. The markings were all wrong, clusters of dark green were not found in scale-like structures: but instead they stretched in bands around the child’s body and legs.

Though that wasn’t the most troubling, as one passive glance over the pokemon’s body revealed the biggest mystery. “W-What?” Gigalith leaned down, nudging aside the cub’s right paw to get a better view. There, to his horror, was a shackle. Chain still attached and everything.

“What the hell…” he growled, enraged that someone would do this to a helpless child. It was positively disgusting.

\------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you again, Lucario. I’m terribly sorry for backing out of our duties. I--”

“Don’t worry about it,” the shorter pokemon waved the healer’s worry away, glancing over towards the bed of grass where the unusual bulbasaur lay. Nuyt was carefully cleaning the head wound with a weakened Water Gun, wiping the blood off every now and again with his paw.

“Don’t worry,” Gigalith said softly, pulling Lucario out of his trance. “I’ll head back out once they are stable, I should be able to collect some oran berries before it gets too dark.”

But the bipedal pokemon simply shook his head, “Naw. Me and Scyther will just swap shifts with ya. Been meaning to get out of the house anyway.”

Gigalith smiled, “That’s very kind of you. If all goes well we should have three hands for this upcoming spin.”

Lucario nodded instinctually, his eyes once again trailing towards the children. Nuyt had finished changing the leaves for a proper bandage, and he was now laying a few feet from the patient. He gave a weak smile, but it quickly faded. Something wasn’t right. This bulbasaur wasn’t right.

“Lucario? Are you alright?” Gigialith asked, catching the attention of Nuyt who lifted his head from his paws.

“Huh? Oh yes. I was just mapping out some routes.” He replied, holding back a sigh of relief when Nuyt settled back down. Gigalith was mother-henning him the whole way out the door, until Lucario finally assured the healer that everything was perfectly fine.

Hearing the voices slowly die down, the pink pup spared a glance towards the door then carefully got to his feet. His tiny legs were little help in speed, but they made up for it in their near silent steps. Though, he didn’t recall the kitchen being this far before.

“Sincerely, thank you for understanding. This hopefully won’t take too long, but both I and Nuyt need to be here should the child need something.” The massive monster said, shuffling his feet in an attempt to be closer to the ground. It was tricky being so tall, especially with pokemon unfamiliar with him. But everyone around the village knew how soft he truly was.

“Hey, we’re a community. If we don’t help each other, who will?” Lucario smiled, genuinely this time. “Besides, the world’s going to hell. We all have to stick together.” It was something rarely talked about, but everybody knew the chaos just outside the confines of their village. 

The illness couldn’t get them here, surely. It was simply too remote.

“Yes, and that is why within the week I’ll be heading out on shift. That gives us five days, and if the cub isn’t ready by then…” Gigalith paused, the mere thought of that possibility scared him. The head injury was pretty severe; but if any good was to come of it, at least it was fresh. That meant no infection could settle before being washed away by Nuyt’s water gun.

But the gentle giant wasn’t left to struggle very long, a calm hand brushed his foot as Lucario offered some of his aura to Gigalith. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the physical body was not the only thing subject to injury.

“Thank you, again. But, I should probably--”

“Already gone,” the biped shrugged lightheartedly, turning around before beginning his trek back home. “You take care, Gigalith. Tell Nuyt that everything’s going to be okay.”

“Will do!” The healer called back, waiting a few moments before finally stepping back inside his hut. “Nuyt, are you hungr--” he paused as he caught the tiny amphibian gnawing on an apple core.

Caught red-handed, the pup simply gulped down what little was in his mouth and then forced an anxious grin. “S-Still fresh!” he chuckled softly, swishing his tail behind him before finally deflating under Gigalith’s stare.

“Nuyt, please wait for me before you go digging into the cupboards. You’ll make yourself sick.” the elder pokemon said gently, he only wanted that mistake to have happened once.

“I-I know, I just didn’t wanna bug you.” Nuyt replied timidly, that and the fact that he never knew when was a proper time to interrupt an adult conversation. Grown ups just talk **_so_ ** much.

“You’re forgiven. Now,” Gigalith lifted his head to reach on top of one of the cabinets, “Wouldn’t you rather have this?” he presented the child with a fresh Perfect Apple.

Nuyt’s eyes went big whilst he leapt to his paws, his rudder tail shaking from side to side as his tiny feet started to tap on the wood floor. Luckily Gigalith was humane and didn’t make his charge wait for long, the apple was set down and seemed to have never touched the ground as the pink blur was on it in a heartbeat.

“Than ooo!” was the last slurred words the healer would hear before Nuyt disappeared into the other room. This was a bit concerning since the small mudkip often neglected to pick up after himself, and rotting food was not a risk they could to take with the patient.

“Nuyt, please bring that back out her--” words caught in the pokemon’s throat when he came to the bedroom doorway. The pup was carefully setting up a grass nest a few feet in front of the bed for the bulbasaur. It was far too small for Nuyt, so what was he making it for--oh, oh sweet Arceus. “Child, never change.”

Nuyt tilted his head to gaze up at his mentor, the Perfect Apple was set--untouched--on the grass nest. The skin of the fruit glistened from the soft spray the pup had sprinkled on it. An adorable attempt to keep it fresh. “Do you think they will like it?”

Gigalith lowered his head to nuzzle his charge, “They will love it.” he assured the child, smiling softly when Nuyt gave off a gentle growl. That was his version of a purr, something he’d picked up from a vacationing Meowth last summer.

“Try and get some rest, I’ll wake you if our patient’s condition changes.” He promised, right after he earned a yawn from the pup.

“C-Can I stay here though?” Nuyt asked in the midst of his yawn.

“As long as you sleep.”

“I’m going.” he mumbled, laying his head back down on his paws with a heavy sigh. He opened one eye slowly to gaze at the newcomer, a small smile coming to his face before he finally settled down.

“Goodnight, child.” Gigalith whispered, grabbing a nearby cloth before draping it over the pup. He then went to head back to the kitchen, pausing at the doorway. He looked back towards the slumbering bulbasaur, “Please hold on. I won’t let anyone harm you again.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey. Are you okay?_

**_H-Huh? Who’s--?_ **

_Oh! You_ _can_ _hear me! I’ve waited so long to hear your voice.._

**_…_ **

_It’s all right, Kro._

**_!!!_ **

_We are in your mind, well sort of. I’m not really even supposed to be talking to you right now. But...I had to tell you. You are in danger._

**_WHAT?_ **

_Don’t panic! I will protect you, but you will have to get strong on your own. We aren’t as strong as we once were._

**_I-I have no idea what you are--_ **

_I have to go. Goodbye old friend…_

**_WAIT--!_ **

* * *

 

The sudden jump from the bulbasaur earned a yelp from the pink mudkip, who had been carefully dressing their head wound. Though the surprise quickly wore off when Nuyt saw the fear in the patient’s eyes. “Oh geez! Hey, it’s okay!”

This however didn’t really seem to comfort the distressed pokemon. But when the bulbasaur tried to stand up, they only made it a few inches off the ground before falling back onto the grass nest.

“H-Hey! Don’t move too much!” the pup insisted, applying pressure to the bandages in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The bulbasaur growled anxiously, pain clouding their conscious as tears welled in their bi-colored irises. “I-I know, just gotta make sure everything stays clean…”

After about half a minute--which felt like an hour to the cub--mudkip finally pulled his paws off their head. Bulbasaur panted heavily, claws dulling with every nervous drag against the wood floor. But they were brought back to the present by the shiny pokemon nudging a pristine apple in front of their nose.

Tight pupils stared at the apple for a good minute before finally rounding out to stare hopefully towards the pup. Nuyt gestured with his paw, a nervous smile on his face the whole time.

The bulbasaur stayed still for the longest time, gaze locked on the fruit as if trying to decide whether it was worth the risk. Though, one growl from their belly was all it took for the pokemon to take a big bite out of the Perfect Apple. A pale-pink tongue lapped over the their maw as they tried to get every drop of juice.

“See? It’s pretty good huh?” The mudkip asked, tail wagging behind him as he sat in front of the other. The bulbasaur nodded, pawing at their head to relieve an itch. Only to pause when they heard the rattle of metal, one look was all it took for it to click.

_They were wearing a shackle._

“Oh, hey don’t worry about that!” The water pup interjected, fidgeting a bit in place as if fighting the urge to directly intervene. He had to be gentle with a patient in such a fragile state.

“Nuyt? Child please keep your voice down.” The deep voice nearly shook the ground, just the weight was enough to put the patient on high alert. And things only got worse as the massive figure showed up in the doorway. Even bent down, the mountain pokemon blotted out what little sunlight came through the windows.

Though the shiny mudkip wasn’t really affected by the monster’s presence, a big ol’ grin on his face as he spun around to face Gigalith. “It’s okay, Giga. They’re awake!”

This seemed to catch Gigalith off guard; but the second he caught sight of the wide-eyed bulbasaur, the shock melted away to instead switch to unwavering compassion. “I’m sorry, child. I didn't mean to frighten you.”

Luckily he was not alone in this front; Nuyt swiftly bounced over to the other child, sporting an inviting smile. “It’s alright! That’s just Gigalith, he’s the bestest healer in the whole world!”

A timid laugh echoed from the rock monster’s throat, “Oh, Nuyt. I wish that were true.”

“It is, though?” Nuyt replied quickly, the hearty laugh from Gigalith was enough to get a hiccupy giggle from the bulbasaur.

* * *

 

“C’mon, Kro!” The excited yap of the mudkip caught the attention of a small group of children, they had been talking amongst themselves in the middle of the village.

The striped bulbasaur followed Nuyt out from the small hut, the bandage on their head only there to keep the wound clean; otherwise they were simply in the rehilbiltation stage. Which was pretty amazing considering they were a day ahead of Gigalith’s estimate, though neither Nuyt or Gigalith would look a gift Rapidash in the mouth.

The four waiting kids approached the pair, one trailing behind the rest. Venipede was the first to speak, “Hey, you’re pretty cool!” he chirped while Ponyta sniffed at Kro’s head curiously.

“I know right? Kro is the coolest!” Nuyt grinned proudly, rudder tail swishing behind him while Kro allowed Ponyta to get a good sense of their scent. They had been told that they had a pleasant smell, so it only seemed polite to share.

Though, their attention was quickly pulled from the three new pokemon when they saw a small Poochyena behind the ranks. The canine pokemon pawed idly at the grass, staring past the ground in a distant manner.

“Well, we’ll have to sssee if they can keep up! Ready for a rematch?” Ekans prompted as he presented a worn cloth on his rattle.

“Hey! It’s my turn to start!” Venipede interrupted.

“You guys, it doesn’t matter y’know. Cause I’m gonna win either way.” Ponyta chuckled, raising a hoof in front of her chest with a confident grin.

“I think Kro should start, it’s their first time after all.” Nuyt stated, earning a reluctant nod from the others. “Okay, Kro. You ready to pl--huh?” he whined in confusion when he looked to his side and found that the bulbasaur wasn’t there anymore.

“O-O-Oh! I-I’m so-s-sorry!” All four kids looked towards the source of the stuttering, and were all silent for a moment while watching Kro observe Poochyena. “I-I d-d-didn’t see you th-there, I-I…”

Kro hesitated at first, but then they rested their paw on top of the pup’s. Poochyena looked up to the bulbasaur in sheer fear, but then that worry melted away and he sniffled softly. Kro offered a gentle smile to Poochyena, which led to the pup giggling anxiously. “T-Thank you…”

Kro turned their head towards Nuyt, appearing guilty. Though the young healer simply nodded before speaking back up, “Okay guys, we’re down two players. But that’s okay! Ponyta can be on my team.”

“H-Hey! Don’t leave me with that snake!” Venipede squealed indignantly, which earned laughs from the other three kids.

Meanwhile, Kro sat next to Poochyena. And there they stayed while Nuyt and the other kids played a game they called Goalie.

It was a little confusing for Kro, but all they really cared about was keeping an eye on Nuyt. This was the first time they had seen the mudkip in action, and honestly they were pretty impressed. Nuyt was really fast, like almost on par with Ponyta. Though his turns were much sloppier, as evident when he went for the scarf but kept skidding regardless of the fact that Ekans--and the scarf--were already on the other side of the square.

Ekans cackled while Nuyt shook off the dirt from his skin, “Still as sloppy as ever! C’mon, dig your tiny paws in and let’s get goi--HEY!” Ekans shrieked when Ponyta swiped the scarf from his grasp.

“You should stop gloating, and focus on winning!” The equine called back, only just avoiding trampling Venipede when the bug tried to trip her. Though it looked as if things weren’t going to be that easy.

“Yeah! Bring it over here, Ponyta!” Nuyt barked excitedly, running after his teammate with renewed vigour.

As the kids played, Kro noticed two figures out of the corner of their eye. It was two pokemon they didn’t recognize, and all that initially registered was the color of one of them. A pale green.

“W-Wow, Nuyt is p-pretty good. I t-think he might a-actually w-win. How b-bout you K-Kr--K-Kro?” Poochyena shivered when he saw the distant look in the grass pokemon’s eyes. He followed their gaze, preparing himself to see something terrifying. But he was baffled to just see Scyther and Lucario. “K-Kro, that’s just S-Scyther and Lucario. I-I mean, Scyther’s k-kinda grumpy b-but…”

Kro’s whole body started to shudder, they took a few steps back before finally bolting the opposite direction. The voices of the other children becoming drowned out by a distant chanting.

* * *

 

This was not good, the forest was a dangerous place that only got worse the further in you went. Only the brave entered such a place alone. Or someone running from the shadows.

Thankfully, Gigalith was quick to come to his charge’s aid. Nuyt had bolted after the bulbasaur the second they’d ran, and it was good that Ponyta has the foresight to alert the healer. The small pup wasn’t alone for more than a minute before the massive pokemon caught up to him. “Nuyt! Slow down!”

Though the mudkip wasn’t going to be persuaded, his friend was out in the very forest that had nearly killed them a few days prior. There was no way he’d stop until he found them.

Gigalith slowed his own pace, if Kro was nearby he didn’t want to jar them with his thunderous steps. Nuyt was used to it, able to jump with the rhythm rather than stay there and ride with the trembling earth. But with Kro’s head injury, he couldn’t risk harming them unintentionally.

The healer scanned the surrounding area, his head jumping back towards Nuyt when his tail thumped lightly on the dirt. Gigalith approached his apprentice slowly, knowing full well what the gentle thump meant.

**Nuyt didn’t want to startle them.**

Gigalith’s eyes widened as he saw the missing bulbasaur, their back to the duo. The trembling in their legs practically broke his heart. But that pain was dulled with the swelling pride for Nuyt, who was slowly inching towards Kro on his belly.

A soft chirp left Nuyt’s mouth as he tilted his head towards his shivering companion. Kro’s head snapped to the sound, but their anxiety faded slowly as Nuyt whispered comfortingly to them. Within a few minutes, Kro pressed their forehead against Nuyt’s. Tears streaming down their face while Nuyt purred gently.

Gigalith allowed the two some privacy, Nuyt was best suited for this kind of thing. Ever since they’d found Kro, the young mudkip hadn’t so much as left their side. And while Kro is appreciative of Gigalith too; it wasn’t until he would leave the hut that he’d hear their weak voice talking to Nuyt.

There was something growing between the two children, and honestly Gigalith was glad. Everyone needs someone they can trust, he would know that better than anyone.

A half-hour passed before the trio made their way home, both children set up between the healer’s front feet for protection. It was more of a comfort thing, to put something between Kro and whatever startled them.

Nuyt walked beside his friend, offering his shoulder should they need the support. But Kro was more tired than anything, every little step made their eyelids heavier. They went as far as they could before finally collapsing, “G-Giga!”

The healer froze, backing up to see what had happened. One look at his charge and he nodded; Gigalith lowered his head and gently slipped his maw over Kro’s body. Once he had a good grip on them, he walked the rest of the way home. Nuyt trotted beside his mentor, soft blue eyes staring up at his passed out companion with a small whine.

**_What had scared them so badly?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I just wanted to remind you guys that comments are better than Kudos. Though Kudos are nice too, I wanna engage in conversation about the story!


	3. Chapter 3

“Where is he!?” A young Gogoat cried, the skiddo beside him shying away from the other kids’ gaze as his big brother stared Ekans down.

“You gotta calm down, they had an emergen–”

“MY MOM’S DYING!” The shout caused both Skiddo and Poochyena to jump, and Ekans gave the older kid a sympathetic frown.

“I’m sorry, but the truth is that we don’t know where they went.” Ekans explained, his tail laying beside him so that there was something separating the enraged Gogoat from Poochyena.

“H-He should be here! Where people can find him if they’re sick!” Gogoat growled whilst holding back tears, his teeth clenched as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I wish we had someone else instead of that stupid gigalith..”

Just before anyone could speak, the tell tale thuds of heavy feet shook the ground. It was subtle, as Gigalith was always very careful with his movements, but every villager could recognize that pattern by now.

It was almost physically impossible how quick Gogoat’s tune changed; he galloped over to the unlikely healer a little too fast for his little brother. “G-Gigalith!”

“Hmm?” The massive rock monster hummed, tilting his head towards the kid with gentle red irises. Only then remembering that Kro was in his grasp, he mumbled something incoherent to the child before heading towards his hut.

“NO!” Gogoat leapt in front of the healer, stray tears almost appearing to dissipate in his frustration. “My mom’s sick! You need to help her!”

Nuyt looked up from Skiddo, soft blue eyes portraying his anxiety. Though he straightened up when his mentor addressed him, it would be gibberish to anyone else but not the pup. “W-What about Kro?”

“Arceus! Just hurry up!” Gogoat brayed, shoving the shiny mudkip away from the healer with a growl. Nuyt whined, looking back to Gigalith with a tremble. But that look the healer gave him, that was all he needed.

“O-Okay, let’s go!” Nuyt barked determinedly, bolting away so quick that Gogoat yelped in surprise. But then he and Skiddo raced after the mudkip, a hopeful smile on his face.

* * *

It was a long walk to Gogoat’s house, but the constant orders from said pokemon kept Nuyt energized. Even the beauty of the mossy hut wouldn’t distract him; his paws stamped into the dirt to come to a stop. Instantly he slipped into an almost different persona. “Do you have berries?”

“U-Uh, yeah! I think my mom’s garden still has some.” Gogoat replied.

“Go get as many as you can, I’ll try and figure out what’s made her ill.” Nuyt said, earning a firm nod from the brothers before they galloped off behind the house. Once they were gone, Nuyt took a deep breath and then sighed heavily. “Y-You got this, Nuyt…”

He nudged open the creaky door with his shoulder, his paw subconsciously brushing the gem on his scarf as he entered the living room. The gem glowed dimly, illuminating the room in a blue light. Nuyt stared down at his scarf with wide eyes, “H-Huh?”

Just as quickly as it came, the light faded. Leaving the mudkip confused for a moment before a wheeze caught his attention. Nuyt hurried over to what appeared to be the bedroom, his body freezing at the sight before him.

The elderly gogoat lay on a fresh bed of grass, thick red liquid oozing from her mouth. Her face was contorted into a look of sheer terror, eyes wide with miniscule pupils that stared at nothing.

“N-No…” Nuyt whimpered, tears streamed down his face as he took a shaky step back.

“Hey, Nuyt! We found some Pecha berries!” The mudkip flinched upon hearing Gogoat’s voice, usually Gigalith was the one to tell the family. Now that task fell upon him.

Nuyt walked outside the hut, his head low as he stepped outside to meet the brothers. He wished Gigalith was here. “G-Gogoat…there’s something I have to tell you..”

“W-What?” Skiddo peeped anxiously, his older brother frozen in place upon hearing that tone in Nuyt’s voice.

“Y-Your mom i–” Nuyt didn’t get the chance to finish before a savage screech erupted from behind him. Wide eyes watched as the elderly goat leapt towards him, only to be stopped when a large rock slammed into her gut.

“MOM!” The brothers screamed, dropping the berries to run to their injured mother. Though they were quickly blocked by a massive foot.

“G-Giga!” Nuyt cried, running to his mentor’s side where Kro was trying to help the healer keep the brothers away from their mother.

“LET ME THROUGH! M-MOM!!” Gogoat sobbed, trying to get past but to no avail.

“You all must get to the square, Ms. Gogoat is infe–” Gigalith was interrupted when the gogoat slammed her head into his own. Blood spattered on Nuyt and Kro’s face as a unknown object flew away from the healer.

Kro tackled Nuyt out of the way of Gigalith’s falling body, the dust kicked up by the massive pokemon collapsing covering the pair as they both coughed. Nuyt looked to Kro with timid blue eyes, “T-Thanks, Kro. B-But we gotta help–” his voice caught in his throat as he stared past Kro’s head.

The bulbasaur whined at the horrified expression on their friend’s face, but upon turning their head their heart dropped.

“DAD!” Nuyt screamed, his voice shaking the very foundation of the forest as Kro stared at him with tear-filled eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys please don't forget to comment, kudos are nice but they don't tell me much. I wanna know your favorite characters, what you think will happen and stuff like that! It'd mean a lot to me.


	4. Chapter 4

It was cold that night; weeks had passed and everyone had been really understanding of Nuyt’s feelings. Though more than a few of the adults had tried to offer to take both children in, Nuyt would shut down whether it was so much as suggested, but there was word of a penpal of the healer’s over in Sanctuary. The idea had been tossed around between him and Kro but it was cut short, as it was their night to collect berries.

Since they lacked the protection of Gigalith, they stayed close to the village. While Kro tried to stick beside their companion, Nuyt suggested that they split up. The faster they finished, the sooner he could get home and sleep. Kro respected his decision, though their steps were slow and anxious. They hadn’t left Nuyt alone since the tragedy.

Once they were gone, the mudkip took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, focusing on keeping calm. But that ultimately failed, tears rolling down his face as his breath hitched and caused him to cough raggedly. Three weeks of holding everything in, while his mind kept flashing back to that very moment his whole world fell apart.

“..w-why…” he choked out, flinching inwards before he cried: “WHYY!?”

“Because you just had to ruin everything.” Nuyt froze at the voice, he looked back and saw none other than Gogoat. Skiddo was right beside his brother, his tiny body trembling as he stared at the ground.

No one had seen these two in the past several weeks, some pokemon had believed that they had been crushed or killed by their own infected mother—whom had also disappeared soon after the incident. But no, they were right there in front of him, alive but clearly not well.

“G-Gogoat, y-you’re alive.” He didn’t know how to feel, he was glad they were okay but afraid of that nasty look the older boy was giving him.

“My mom would have been too, if it wasn’t for your stupid mentor!” Gogoat snarled, headbutting the shiny mudkip to the dirt with all his strength. Nuyt’s face grinded into the ground from the sheer force, a pained yelp escaping him as Skiddo spoke up.

“S-Stop!” Skiddo cried, tugging on his brother’s tail anxiously. Though he was in turn growled at until he backed off.

“What did you do to her?” Gogoat hissed, waiting only a few seconds before he yelled. “ANSWER ME YOU FREAK!” He raised onto his hind legs, going to stomp on Nuyt but he was caught off guard when vines entangled his legs before pulling them out from under him.

“K-Kro!” Nuyt whimpered as the strangely marked bulbasaur stood between him and Gogoat. Kro growled towards the kid as he shakily got back to his feet.

“Get out of my way, before I squish you.” the bigger kid growled, but Kro held their position. “Fine, I’ll just beat you up first!” he reared up once more, and Nuyt immediately pulled on Kro’s vine in an attempt to get them out of the way. But he froze as a warm orange light engulfed Gogoat.

But, the only fire types around here were Ponyta or her dad. And with so much forest surrounding the village it was dangerous to use their flames. Why would the--? W-Wait..

“KRO!” Nuyt cried in terror as he saw his best friend, a bulbasaur, breathe fire. Though his fear was quick to swap towards the horrid screams of his attacker, he had to do something!

Nuyt sprayed water over Kro’s head and onto Gogoat, this seemed to bring them out of their trance and they too gasped in horror. _What had they done?_

“B-BROTHER!” Skiddo screamed, tears streaming down his tiny snout as he watched the fire die down to reveal his brother. All of his fur was charred, and he wasn’t moving.

“N-No...no, no, no.” Nuyt whimpered, looking over to Kro in shock but the moment he saw how broken they were, he knew they didn’t mean for this to happen. “K-Kro, w-we gotta…”

“B-BROTHER!! W-WAKE UP!” Skiddo cried, shaking his older brother’s shoulder as hard as he could. But it was no use. “H-HELP! S-SOMEBODY HELP!”

Kro panted rapidly, fearing that they truly had killed someone. They had no idea what came over them, they just saw Nuyt in danger and they-- “Kro!” They snapped their attention back to Nuyt, seeing the pain in his irises. “W-We gotta go.”

It took a moment, but then they nodded in agreement. Bolting into the bushes while Skiddo continued to cry for someone to help him.

 

* * *

 

Nuyt skidded to a stop at his hut, rushing inside while Kro stood outside and tried to process what had just happened. Gogoat was dead, and it was their fault. How could they do this? All of it was wrong, they only wanted to protect Nuyt.

“Kro, give me a hand!” Nuyt called from inside the hut, the bulbasaur rushed inside and quickly caught a stray apple before it could fall on the mudkip’s head. He had a bag beside him, overflowing with various fruit and medical supplies.

Kro whined anxiously towards their friend, fearing what he might think of them now. But Nuyt simply asked them to go collect some bandages, which they did. Upon coming back, they noticed Nuyt stuffing something shiny into the bag. Though they didn’t ask, considering what he’d just experienced.

“Thank you, Kro.” Nuyt mumbled, pushing the bag towards his companion before he took a deep breath. “We have to leave. We can’t stay here anymore.”

Kro whined in response, shaking their head before grabbing the bag between their teeth. They looked up to their best friend with a pained expression, ducking their head with another whimper.

“No, Kro.” The cub looked up to Nuyt with wide eyes, the shiny mudkip rested a paw on their shoulder while staring into their eyes with a weak smile. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, what kind of friend would I be to let you walk out of here alone?”

Tears welled in Kro’s eyes as their lips quivered, they dropped the bag and then wrapped their paws around Nuyt. The shiny mudkip nuzzled his companion’s shoulder with a choked sob, but his voice was confident once he spoke back up. “You are my best friend, Kro. You saved me more than once. I will always be by your side!”

Wheezy sobs followed the small speech, and Nuyt held them for several minutes before his fin trembled. He backed up with a gasp, slipping the bag’s strap over his head quickly while whispering to Kro. “C’mon, we’ll go out the window.”

Kro followed him without question, kneeling down so Nuyt could climb on top of them. They then lifted him to the window, waiting for him to jump out before lowering one of their vines out the window. Nuyt gently grasped it in his mouth, pulling on it until Kro was finally able to get a foothold on the windowsill.

Nuyt sniffed his partner anxiously after they fell onto the ground, but Kro stood up after a few seconds and nudged Nuyt forward. With that, the two children darted to the brush to hide them from prying eyes.

“Huh?” A voice growled in confusion as a tall green pokemon looked over towards the shuffling bush. But he was distracted as ragged coughs shook his frame.

“Scyther!” Lucario gasped, rushing over to the other and checking his companion’s eyes.

“I’m fine, Lu. It’s just a cough…” Scyther grumbled, lightly pushing Lucario’s hand away from his face. But Lucario wouldn’t give up that easily.

“You need to lay down. C’mon, the others can keep searching. Let’s get you hom--” Lucario was unable to finish when Scyther walked away from him in a huff.

“You can go home if you want, I’m not giving up..” He growled, his gaze scanning the area while Lucario stood there in shock. Though it didn’t take long for the aura pokemon to run after him.

“Scyther, wait!” His voice faded as they both entered the forest, and suddenly the village was quiet.


	5. Chapter 5

“I found one!” Kro wheeled around upon hearing their companion speak, they raced over just in time to catch Nuyt with his paws on the trunk of a tree. Though, they didn’t see anything in the tree. So they uttered a pained whine, their stomach gurgling as the shiny mudkip looked back to them. “C’mere,” He waved his paw towards the trunk with a smile.

Kro slowly approached their friend, following Nuyt’s gaze before letting out a gasp. There, nested in the branches, were two beautiful apples. A bit of saliva dripped from the bulbasaur's mouth before Nuyt spoke back up. “And they’re all ours!” His tail wagged rapidly behind him as his grin steadily grew. But then he got a little more serious, “Ok, just like we used to do bac--”

Just then a blue blur bolted through the air over the two kids’ heads, both ducked to prevent getting dust in their eyes. “W-What the--!?” Nuyt mumbled, lifting his head back towards where the apples had been. Only to find that they were no longer there. “They’re gone!”

Kro stared up at the empty tree in horror, their vision getting a bit blurry as they soaked in this information. It was right there...practically in their claws..

“HEY!” Kro snapped out of their trance when Nuyt shouted, they looked around their immediate area until finally locating the mudkip. He was barking up another tree, and once they glanced up at what he might be screaming at they rushed to his side.

A swellow was casually munching on one of  **their** apples. Licking her beak before finally speaking, with a mouthful of apple no less. “Shouldn’t you two get back to preschool?” She chuckled, tossing the apples up and down from her talon nonchalantly.

“Those are our apples! Please, we are starving!” Nuyt cried, earning a nod from Kro as they uttered another whine. 

But the bird pokemon just scoffed, “Do I look like your mother?” And then she took off deeper into the forest.

“Wait!” Nuyt screamed, dashing after Swellow with wide eyes. Kro yelped at the sudden motion, but they shook it off in favor of racing after their friend.

Nuyt glanced back as he kept running, “Kro, use your razor leaf!” He said quickly, earning a horrified face from the bulbasaur. “Kro!” He screamed desperately, thus causing Kro to haphazardly toss leaves towards Swellow.

Though Swellow was ready, she swung around and pumped back her wings. But...then she stopped as the leaves drifted daintily towards the ground. “Pfft, that was just embarassin--” She froze, giving Nuyt just enough time to spray her with a water gun. “UGH, YOU LITTLE--!”

“Ha! I got her, Kro! Kro look I got he--KRO!” Nuyt bolted back to his fallen companion, they were out cold for no visible reason. The pup rested his paw on their head, then their chest. “K-Kro...please get up..” He nudged their head with his snout, his fin drooping when they didn’t respond. “K-Kro..!”

“Hey, kid…” Swellow whispered, stepping back when Nuyt took up a defensive stance between her and Kro.

“D-Don’t come any c-closer! Y-You can keep the apples, just d-don’t hurt us!” Nuyt sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks as his legs trembled underneath him.

Swellow looked a little annoyed by this, “Calm down. Your friend needs help, we have a docto--”

“Swellow! There you are!” All eyes turned to behold a stoic blue and yellow figure, the pokemon slowed down gracefully a few feet from Swellow. Though when the voice spoke up once more, the pokemon’s mouth didn’t move. “Manetric, let me down.”

The quadrupedal pokemon layed down on the ground, watching as a small gator slid off their back. “Swellow! Where  **were** you? You’ve been gone for hours!”

“I was looking for your stupid apples,  _ doc _ . Found two kids instead.” Swellow stepped aside to reveal the shivering mudkip and collapsed bulbasaur.

“Arceus!” Doc hurried over to Nuyt with wide eyes. Nuyt whimpered, tensing up his muscles as if expecting a fight. But all he got was a concerned question, “Are you alright?”

The pup looked up to the other hesitantly, remnants of tears sliding down his face as he choked out. “D-Doc…?”

“Yes, son. I am a doctor. You’re safe.” The sandile said gently, watching as Nuyt’s body relaxed and his head lowered to finally caught his breath. “Now, where are your parents?”

This caused Nuyt to pause, tears welling in his eyes once again before he wailed uncontrollably.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you, stealing apples from children!” Doc scolded as he paced around the pot Swellow was working with.

“Oh sure, blame me and not their dimwitted parents.” She grumbled, dropping some leaves into the pot with her talon.

“I don’t think they  _ have  _ parents, Swellow.” Doc replied, glancing over to where the children were resting. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw Manetric tracing something in the soft dirt just in front of Nuyt.

“Well they ain’t mine.” Swellow stated, mixing the stew with an almost bored expression. Only to have dust kicked onto her feathers, “Oi! You want dirt in the food?”

“Look, we can’t just leave them out here. There are infected all over these woods, they’ll get eaten alive!” Doc whispered harshly, trying to save Nuyt’s ears from hearing the conversation.

“And take them where? You heard the pidgey, the village is under quarantine.” She growled, taking a sip of the stew before she rummaged through the small bag Nuyt had been carrying.

“Hey! Don’t touch that, it’s not ours!” Doc shouted, though luckily nobody but Swellow heard him.

“Gotta make sure they don’t have anything that could hurt themselves in he--” She paused while staring into the bag.

“Oh for Arceus’ sake, put it bac--Huh? Is that?” He asked, allowing Swellow to lift the dirty metal object from the sack. “ _ ‘Junior Doctors of the World.’ _ ” Doc read, once he was finished Swellow turned it over to see if it was engraved.

“‘I believe in you,’ signed…” Swellow stopped mid sentence, realizing what this meant.

“We have to bring them back, looks like he’s their caretaker now.” Doc stated, grabbing two bowls and filling them up before pushing them over towards the others. “Put it back, Swellow.”

She sighed heavily, dropping the badge back into the bag before kicking it lightly away from her. This was going to be a rough ride…

“Wow! How’d you learn to do that?” Nuyt asked with stars in his eyes, Manetric merely smiled in response.

“Alright, thank you very much Manetric. You go and eat now, yeah?” Doc suggested, to which the pokemon nodded before walking over to Swellow in the middle of camp.

“What’s that?” Nuyt asked curiously, sniffing the bowls once Doc pulled back from pushing them.

“It’s stew, Swellow’s special blend.” Doc replied with a smile, Nuyt looked up to him with soft blue eyes. “I brought two for when your friend wakes up.”

“Oh, thank you.” The shiny mudkip said, though he simply just laid there afterwards.

“It’s okay, you can eat.” Doc encouraged, watching as Nuyt glanced over to the still passed out bulbasaur. “She’ll be alright, so--”

“They.”

Doc blinked in surprise, “Excuse me?”

“You said ‘she,’ but Kro’s a ‘they.’” Nuyt explained calmly.

“Oh, my apologizes!” Doc backpedaled quickly, “ **_They_ ** will be okay. They just need some rest and a proper meal, you two must have been walking for awhile.”

Nuyt nodded, sighing softly before he timidly lapped up some of the stew. The sandile relaxed upon seeing this; but now that he knew that both of them were fine, he realized how hungry he was. “I’m going to go eat with my colleagues, you two rest up okay?”

“Ok.” Nuyt muttered between mouthfuls, but when Doc went back to the center of the camp he stopped eating. Gazing at Kro’s bowl with a sad frown. They had always acted like they were getting plenty to eat, Nuyt had almost missed how chubby he was getting. It was likely his own fault that their food stores ran out, feasting every night when they rested for the night.

“S-S-Sor…” Nuyt jumped up at the weak voice, he looked over to his side to see that Kro was waking up. He pressed his forehead against theirs, fresh tears racing down nearly dried lines on his face.

It was clear that it wasn’t just passing out that was bothering them, they had been painfully silent the whole trip so far. They had always been agreeable before, but usually they would have talked some sense into him if he was doing something foolish. And the hesitation to attack, even though their attacks would have done little more than catch Swellow’s attention...that wasn’t normal.

Pokemon fought every now and again, but they never let it go too far. Kro couldn’t have been expected to know this, that one misplaced attack could result in death. But then again, how were they to know if Gogoat was dead? He’d never admit it, but Kro wasn’t the strongest pokemon. Neither was he for that matter, but the point was that it is very possible that the flamethrower had merely knocked Gogoat out.

“Shh, shh...It wasn’t your fault..” He crooned softly, laying beside them while they sniffled anxiously. He chose his next words very carefully, well as carefully as he possibly could under that much stress. “...we don’t even know if he’s gone. He might be okay..!”

Kro wasn’t as optimistic, but they did give a slow nod to try and put their friend at ease. Though it still ate at them, they couldn’t help thinking that it all could have been prevented. And for a moment, they glanced down towards their left forepaw.

The shackle, only now did they seriously consider what it meant. Were they a monster? Was someone trying to keep them away from the other pokemon?

“Hey,” Nuyt interrupted their thoughts, nudging the second bowl over to them. “Please eat. It’s good, I promise!” He dipped his snout into his own bowl before taking a small gulp.

Kro hesitated however, staring at the stew with tears fogging their vision. But Nuyt had an idea, “Ok, you don’t hafta eat.” He shoved his own plate away, crossing his forepaws with a determined frown on his face. 

“But I’m not gonna either, not unless you d--Oh.” Paused as he opened his eyes to see Kro’s snout buried into the stew, chugging down several mouthfuls before lifting their head to look back at him. 

Nuyt smiled softly at this, “Thanks, Kro. Now c’mon, I’ll race ya!” He dunked his snout into the bowl, earning a playful growl from his companion before they too began to wolf down the meal.


	6. Chapter 6

“C’mon you two, you’re holding us up!” Swellow cawed as she circled back around to the group, having flown ahead to determine the best path for the group to take.

“C-Can’t we rest for a sec? Oooghhh, my stomach’s killing me…” Nuyt whined, his head low as he uttered a half-hearted belch. Kro didn’t look much better themself, they almost looked even more green in the face now.

“Well then maybe you shouldn’t have scarfed down yer dinner last night.” She replied, landing at the front of the pack with a huff. “We’re on a schedule, so pick up your feet and let’s get going.”

“Swellow, it is much better to use positive reinforcement with children.” Doc suggested from his spot on Manetric’s back, a smile on his long snout at the certainty of his statement.

“Alright, be my guest.” Swellow responded, flying up to a nearby tree where she then perched herself. “My wings need a preening anyway.” She then proceeded to run her beak along her flight feathers.

“Yes, well…” Doc muttered, sighing heavily before he turned his attention towards Manectric. “You can rest too, it’d be best if I was on their level after all.”

Manectric gave a stout nod, easing down into the grass with a content purr. Doc hopped off his companion’s back and scurried over to the kids. “How we doing back here? You said your stomachs were hurting you?”

Kro flopped onto their side with a pained moan, holding their belly as Nuyt spoke up. “I feel like I’m gonna throw up..!”

Doc cringed anxiously before laughing it off timidly, “Oh, don’t be silly. I know just the thing for tummy aches.” He glanced around the immediate area before sighing heavily. “Swellow?” She grunted gruffly in response, not looking up from her work for a moment.

“Do you know if we have any heal seeds?” Doc asked, catching Manectric looking over to him before nosing through their bag.

“Shouldn’t you be asking Mani?” She grumbled, and lo and behold the blue pokemon uttered a bark to Doc.

“Oh, excellent! May I see them?” Doc scampered over to the other, though once he was there he noticed that there was only one seed. “Oh dear...is there a way we could cut this in half?”

Manectric moved Doc’s paws so he would be holding either side of the seed; then they rested their fangs over it, pausing for a moment before bringing their maw down around the seed. The heal seed split in half and Doc only flinched a little. “Perfect! Good thinking Manectric!”

But just as the sandile was hurrying over to the duo, he noticed that Nuyt was looking over to the bushes on his left. The pup’s expression was unreadable, but his fin was trembling ever so slightly. “Are you okay son?”

Nuyt jumped a bit, turning his attention to Doc before whispering. “What is that?”

“H-Huh? What’s wha--?” Doc was unable to finish when a blinding light caused him to wince, “What the--!?”

“S-Sorry! My gem does that sometime--” Nuyt looked over as he heard a low growl, finding that it was Kro who was making the noise. They were hunched down and their vines prepped beside their tense body. “Kro, what’s wron--?”

His answer came not from his companion, but from a black figure that launched itself at them. His eyes widened as a memory flashed in his mind; this was just how Gigalith had died.

Though he and Doc were swiftly yanked out of the monster’s path by familiar vines. Kro slid them both back behind them, freezing as the raptor-like creature hissed at them. The massive leaf on its head trembling as those vacant red irises stared them down.

“KRO RUN!” Nuyt screamed as the creature once again leapt, this time aiming for the frozen bulbasaur.

However, the figure never made it. For Manectric was right on it, running at incredible speed before slamming into the monster. Then, the figure burst into flames. But the worst thing, was its scream.

It sounded like a million voices crying out at once, each of them more bloodcurdling and anguished than the last.

Manectric pushed the flailing body away from the group, and in an instant Swellow dove for it. Braking midair before rapidly flapping her wings, the gust of wind from this move put out the fire. Leaving nothing but...bones?

Kro stared at the remains in horror, visions of Gogoat flashing before them before they began to cry. Though no one seemed to notice, Manectric and Swellow were too busy examining the bones. “Hmm, looks like a Grovyle. Weird, all of them went to that one village right? Something about getting back ‘to their roots,’ or some other nonsense.”

Though, Nuyt did finally notice their tears and he nuzzled under their chin gently. He couldn’t help the shocked glare he gave Swellow and Manectric, “You killed them!”

“Geez, you’re welcome…” Swellow growled, this is when Doc stepped in.

“I know it is scary, children. But in his condition, it was only humane to put him down.” He started, flicking his tail which signaled Swellow to fly up and do a quick once around of the surrounding forest. “He was infected. Horribly ill with no known cure. He was suffering.”

“B-But…” Nuyt glanced back to his friend, seeing them weakly wiping the tears from their eyes. They looked towards the pile of bones, then back to Nuyt. “I-I...u-understand..?”

“It’s alright, son. Here,” Doc held out the split heal seed to the both of them. “This will hold you over until we get over the mountain.”

Nuyt sat on his bum, taking both halves in his fore-paws before holding one out to Kro. They both ate their respective piece at the same time, feeling a warmth build up in their chests that broke apart the lump of anxiety that had nested there.

Just then Swellow swept in over them, “All clear!” She called down.

“Come, let’s keep moving.” Doc said deciding to stay on the ground with Kro and Nuyt while Swellow led the way.

* * *

“And that was just one procedure!” Doc grinned while all five of them laid around a small fire; it had taken a lot of work to clean all of the snow off the cliff on the mountain, but it was worth it for a secure night’s rest.

“Eh, don’t believe him kids. He’s known for his short tales.” Swellow commented with a smirk, finishing off her apple as Nuyt tilted his head towards her.

“Don’t you mean ‘tall tales?’” He asked, to which he got silence before Swellow and Manectric burst out laughing.

“Oh, very mature you two.” Doc sighed while Nuyt looked between the three adults with a confused expression.

Though once the chortles died down, Nuyt broke the silence once more. “I got a story.”

“Oh, this’ll be good.” Swellow quipped, chuckling when Manectric lightly punched her on her wing.

“Alright, one more story. Then it’s time for bed.” Doc smiled, curling his tail off to his side and shifting his hind legs so that they too were beside him.

“Okay! It’s a really good one.” Nuyt said confidently, he didn’t notice it but Kro opened their eye to look up at him. Only now were they the slightest bit interested in what was going on around them.

“So a long time ago, there were these things called humans--”

“Oh arceus, not this shi--” Swellow started, but she was quieted by Manectric’s paw on her beak.

“Go on, Nuyt. I am very interested in this already.” Doc encouraged gently, shooting his comrade a glare when Nuyt wasn’t looking.

“Um, where was I…? Oh, right!” Nuyt patted his paw onto the stone below before continuing, “So humans were these weird creatures, with flat faces and they like didn’t know how to talk. And they had no moves, but fought all the time!”

“Pfft, what animals…” Swellow muttered, which Doc and Manectric nodded in agreement.

“They were all split up too, not like us. They had different homes that kept to themselves mostly, it was really weird. Like they’d trade and stuff but no tribes liked the others?” Nuyt continued, obviously he was getting off track so Doc prompted him gently. “Anyway, the planet was getting really sick from all the death and gunk in the air. So these big lizard things--”

“Sceptiles?” Doc corrected uncertainty.

“No, like they were kind of like Salamences but more like a snake too? But yeah, these creatures united together and brought balance back to the planet. And everything was getting better, the humans slowly disappeared and the first pokemon started to arrive.”

“Uh, huh. Very interesting, now can we go to bed?” Swellow yawned, though Nuyt shook his head quickly.

“I’m not done yet! It gets really good!” He insisted, to which Doc once again shushed Swellow and prompted the mudkip to finish. “Ok, so everything was going great. But then the leader lizard got in a fight, they died in that very battle. After that the ancient pokemon built a statue to honor their savior.”

Swellow scoffed at the choice of words, what a joke. Like some creature could have saved all pokemon, but the glares from her fellow adults kept her from interrupting any further.

“Many years went on, until one pokemon predicted that a terrible dark age would cloud the planet. All pokemon would fall victim to a horrible plague, and the only way they’d survive it is if that great creature returned to bring balance back once more.” Nuyt said the last part with stars in his eyes, Kro smiled up to their friend before uttering a soft chuff.

“Huh, that’s a great story, Nuyt.” Doc praised the shiny pokemon, earning a proud grin from the pup. “But, now we should all be getting to bed.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Night Doc, Manectric, Swellow.” Nuyt said, nuzzling up to Kro’s side and sighing contently when the bulbasaur rested their paw over his side. “Night Kro.”

Kro purred gently, the two of them falling asleep within minutes of closing their eyes. Swellow watched them for that time and five extra before turning towards Doc. “What a load of garbage, as if pokemon need help from some freak.”

“Swellow, I think Nuyt is just projecting. He wants to believe that something is out there that can stop this disease,” Doc retorted. “He’s young, let him and Kro believe. This is a terrible time to grow up, these little things make all the difference.”

Swellow paused for a moment before resting her head on her back, “Yeah whatever you say, Doc…” And with that, they too fell asleep. Comforted by the gentle crackle of the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to leave a comment, well-thought out ones preferred! X3


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